Civilisation is the Blossoming then Shrivelling of human understanding.

A civilisation is the greatest achievement of humanity as it is the most powerful creature on the planet: its understanding, strength and senses are unlimited by biology so its potential for achievement is limitless, until it goes senile.

Hence, civilisation is the blossoming of human understanding, which realises wealth, order, knowledge, security, clear identity and sensible purpose; followed by the shrivelling of human understanding, which realises the opposite. A rise and fall revealed in its use of language, because the use of words is the exercise of understanding.